You've probably heard that negative ions are good for you and positive ones are to be avoided but do you know what it means, what positive ions are and where you find them?

Maybe this will help a little.

Do you feel the bracing impact of being close to a rough sea?  The refreshing aftermath of a thunderstorm? That is the effect of negative ions.  The air feels light and fresh.

You may also have experienced the heavy murky feeling before a thunderstorm.  You could have felt a heavy head experience.  That's the build up of positive ions reaching their peak.  The storm produces electricity (lightening) and clears the atmosphere filling it full of calm peaceful clarity. The  Ions are attracted together and form a heavy cluster.

Natural conditions produce positive ions and then have a way of neutralising them and producing healthy refreshing negative ions.

However in our homes we have an abundance of positive ion producing equipment that is not naturally neutralised.  TV's, phones, computers ... all bombard you with a frequency that is much more than our body and brain is used to creating what is termed electrical smog.

This can cause problems like lack of sleep, nervousness,body stress, lack of concentration, sluggishness.

We are about to be spending more time in our homes as the winter months set in.   We will be more likely to be using electrical equipment and introducing more positive ions into our atmosphere.  It's important to prepare our home and make it as comfortable as possible

It's important to introduce ways to neutralise these positive ions in as many ways as you can.

Here are some suggestions:

• Have a few plants - they help to clear the air.
• Ventilate with fresh moving air
• Use natural cleaning products
• vaccuum and clean regularly to keep the dust down.
• Don't smoke in the house

Water
Just as the movement of the ocean produces negative ions, then water movement in your home will, to a lesser extend do the same.  So a water feature is not only relaxing but also refreshing and purifying.

Salt Crystals
In the form of lamps or tea light holders, salt crystals when warmed attract moisture which in turn attracts positive ions.  Negative ions from the salt neutralises the ions and cleanses the atmosphere.   Salt caves have been used for many years as a place of recupperation and rejuvenation, just by sitting in the warm damp caves and relaxing.  You can also buy small crystals of salt to either heat in a dish over a tea light or you can place a tea light in the middle of them on a saucer.